Bounty
by Romula Linders
Summary: Lily Evans is the top Bounty Hunter working for the Ministry. But what happens when her latest target is none other than James Potter? AU
1. An Upstart

**Bounty**

**Chapter One: An Upstart. **

"**You haven't the first idea how unforgiving this universe has become and I will not allow you to learn at my expense."**

**--Tyr Anasazi (Andromeda)**

"So, do you understand your mission?"

"For the most part. You still haven't told me who I'm supposed to be looking for."

"An upstart. Nothing more."

She sighed and stood up, stretching luxuriously. He watched her, appreciating the easy grace in which she moved.

"Going through an awful lot of trouble for an upstart. After all, you did call me."

He smiled, showing slightly crooked teeth. "That I did. You are the only one who can do this."

She looked at him, emerald eyes searching in face inquisitively. She smirked and tossed her henna colored braid off her shoulder. "You're scared of him. He presents a threat doesn't he." It was more a statement than a question.

He grimaced. "Always perceptive aren't you Lily?"

"Of course Minister. It's part of what makes me the best. So why are you scared of this one?"

He leaned over the table, and Lily saw that both his fists were clenched. "Because, he's dangerous. And influential."

"He doesn't seem much different then from the usual people I bring in. Dangerous, influential, rebels, etc."

"Glad you can find the humor in this. In any event you don't get paid to question why I say a certain person needs to be apprehended Evans."

Her eyes flashed. When he called her Evans she knew he was getting irritated and she smirked inwardly. He would be nothing without her. She was the best bounty hunter around. He had no business getting irritated.

"So who is it?" She asked, anxious to get started tracking her quarry. She was unprepared for the answer that he gave her.

"James Potter."

**TBC….**

**Sorry everyone! I know it's short! I'm just experimenting and I love Lily and James. Also I have a bit of writer's block on Mikayla's Legacy. So just tell me what you think of this. Although I warn you, I'm gonna continue regardless. LOL! Enjoy it!**

**And as you can see this is A/U**

**Desiree**

**(Romula)**


	2. The Losers

**Bounty**

Chapter Two: The Losers 

"**I've got a bad feeling about this…"**

**--Han Solo (Star Wars)**

**A/N Here it is folks, chapter two! I promise the chapters will be longer. **

Lily gaped in spite of herself. _James Potter?_ Dumbledore's right hand man James Potter? Her astonishment must have shown quite plainly because the Minister sat back and said: "Trying to catch flies Lily?"

With an audible snap she closed her mouth and turned a frosty gaze his way. "Even I get surprised sometimes Minister." She didn't add that she also had an uneasy feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. It upset her, and she had made it a practice to not let anyone see her upset.

He returned her stare levelly. "You can't afford to be surprised or any other word synonymous with it. You are a Bounty Hunter. This is your quarry."

She leaned over the desk until her face was inches from his, emerald eyes flashing. "I have _never_ failed to bring in my quarry and I won't begin now. You need _me_ not the other way around." Angrily she turned and stalked out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

The Minister sat back in his chair, gazing at the door. _So I guess it really is true what they say about a red head's temper._

James Potter was a lieutenant for the Order of the Phoenix and staunchly loyal to Dumbledore. Which was why he was on bad footing with the Ministry of Magic. For weeks he and others in the Order had been trying to warn people of a dark force that was rapidly gathering power. Dumbledore had told them all that it was a former student of his named Tom Riddle and the defeated look in the old wizard's eyes as he told them all he knew of his former student was enough to add resolve to their fledgling strength.

People had been going missing for weeks only to turn up dead in the most random places. Often brutally used before hand. And still the Ministry denied everything to the public. It was enough to drive him to extreme frustration. And the meetings that the Order held in Godric's Hollow did nothing to ease it.

"We are trying to help people and they can't even see it!" Sirius said angrily, slamming his fist down on the table.

"We don't know who we can trust inside the Ministry." Remus said quietly, "They might be part of the Death Eaters. Besides, even if they aren't Death Eaters think of the widespread panic this would cause if people believed us."

"They have a right to know the _truth_ Remus." Sirius replied.

Remus's eyes flashed a predatory yellow. "I know that Sirius but from the Ministry's point of view they are doing good and we are disturbing the piece."

James had caught the wolfish gleam in Remus's eyes and kicked Sirius under the table as hard as he could as he had done often during their years at Hogwarts. Sirius yelped and shot James a glare before it softened at seeing the subtle hand motion he made. He sighed. James was right. Remus was too close to transforming for him to be antagonized. Sirius ran a hand through his thick black hair. He looked at Remus and extended his hand. "I'm sorry Moony."

Remus smiled at him and warmly took his hand. "It's fine Padfoot. I'm the one who's sorry."

"So anybody have any more ideas?" James asked.

"The best thing we can do is just to continue doing what we were." Said Frank Longbottom.

"Yeah that'll work." Sirius said sarcastically.

"The Daily Prophet is already going so far as to label us Rebels. It's no doubt thanks to the Ministry." Remus pointed out.

"And the Ministry has appointed Bounty Hunters to bring us in. And we don't even know who they are. They could be anyone." Alice Longbottom said in her usual gentle way.

"That's just a rumor Alice." James said tiredly.

"But it makes sense," Frank put in, "Last couple of people we have sent out on missions haven't returned, and they haven't turned up anywhere."

"They could have been killed you know." Said Sirius tersely.

Suddenly, the door to the Order headquarters opened and Dumbledore's tall form walked in. "They were not killed. Tom Riddle, or Voldemort as he is called now, has a pattern he wants his Death Eaters to follow. If they were dead, they would have shown up by now. They have been arrested and sent to Azkaban." This brought shocked silence to those sitting around the kitchen table. James looked at Dumbledore and saw that tears glistened in bright blue eyes dulled by a war that he and the rest of them were losing fast. James did not like the feeling he got from looking at those eyes. A lump rose in his throat as he remembered something.

"Albus?" James stood and went to him, silently lending him his support. "Where is Dorcas?" The lump in his throat was growing so that it almost prevented him from asking the question. Dorcas Meadowes has been gone for awhile on a mission that only she and Dumbledore knew. She was supposed to be returning tonight. If anything Dumbledore slumped even further. "I personally found her. She's gone."

Sirius slammed a fist hard into the table. Remus bowed his head. Alice started crying and buried her face in her husband's chest. James helped Dumbledore to a chair before sinking down to the floor. It was official. They were losing. And bad.

Lily apparated to her London flat once she was off the Ministry grounds. She was still seething with anger and her body thrummed with energy. She feared she had let the Minister see too much of her emotions when he had mentioned her latest assignment. But she had been caught completely off guard when James was mentioned and was angry at that as much as she was at the Minister's comments. Although if she was really honest with herself, she would admit that the reason she was really angry, was because of the slight increase in her heartbeat at the mere thought of James Potter.

TBC… 

**So I hoped everyone liked that chapter better. I'll go into more detail later about how Lily and James know each other and all that stuff. I hope you all like it!**

**Romula**


	3. Been Awhile

**Bounty**

**Chapter Three: It's Been Awhile**

"**My only love spring from my only hate."**

**---Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)**

**A/N I guess people are still fleshing the story out and seeing if they like it. All**

**I can say is that I certainly do. It's different then what I normally write. **

**Anyways well my eventual goal is to write fanfiction with all my favorite ships:**

**HARRY POTTER: **

**Sirius Black/Hermione Granger**

**Remus Lupin/Hermione Granger**

**Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger**

**Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley**

**James Potter/Lily Evans**

**WARNING: THIS IS A/U! AND WHILE IT FOLLOWS THE PATH OF THE BOOKS A LITTLE IT WILL DEVIATE. AND OF COURSE SOME OF THE CHARACTERS WILL BE OCC. SO NO FLAMES ON THAT COUNT PLEASE.**

**I am writing Bounty because I want to do a Lily and James fic but also to help me struggle through my writer's block with Mikayla's Legacy and Time Is A River Without Banks, formally known as Remembrance. Anyways all, **

**Enjoy chapter three of Bounty! **

**With love**

**Romula**

She was young. Much younger than one would have guessed with her reputation. She had only graduated Hogwarts three years ago. Which put her at the age of twenty. She had gone to work for the Ministry as an Auror because it had seemed incredibly exciting to her and it was a worthy profession but they had seen her immense potential and had trained her to become a Hunter instead. She had accepted because they had told her that it was like being an advanced Auror and the extra knowledge she could put to good use intrigued her. But lately she wasn't so sure, and she hated not being sure. The people she had been asked to bring in were not evil people. They were people she had grown up with, had gone to school with. But by the time she really began questioning the Ministry's motives and asking questions, it had been too late. She was too involved. So she performed her tasks with none of the emotion and expression she had exhibited during her Hogwarts years. She had become ruthless and efficient in her pursuit. And that ruthlessness had definitely provided results. But it also left her feeling trapped in a identity she didn't even want. Come to think of it, she was never really sure why those people had been targeted by the Ministry. Lily sighed and walked over to the full-length mirror on her door and studied her reflection with a practiced eye as she had done a lot lately.

Clad in a supple black body suit that allowed her to move quickly (cloaks and robes really hampered her progress) it showed off the lithe body and the slight, stubborn curves of her figure left over from when it had been fuller before the rigorous physical training she had received. Her hair was shorter than it used to be, coming to a stop below her shoulders, and it was pulled into a tight braid. Her face was more angular due to her new body shape and her eyes, once so carefree now flashed a cool emerald, matching the aloofness of her personality.

She barely recognized herself. And for the first time in three years, she was bothered by that. She had no doubt that her latest assignment had something to do with it. She hadn't seen him in years and already he was annoying her. Typical James Potter. She should have known that he would continuously cause her trouble.

"Just can't get away from the git can you Lily?" She said derisively to her reflection. Angrily she stripped out of her body suit and tossed on a pair of hip hugging jeans and a dark green tank top and headed towards her fireplace and grabbed a handful of flu powder. She needed a nice stiff drink, and London pubs just wouldn't cut it for her. Squatting into her fireplace (muggles of course didn't worry about little things like the height of their fireplaces for transportation means) and angrily threw the powder down and snapped out: "The Hogshead!"

James needed to get out of Godric's Hollow. Being around all those sad faces and grim atmosphere was enough to make him go insane. Sirius and Remus loyally kept him company, just like old times. Well…almost like old times. Peter wasn't there. He had said that he couldn't make it and sent his condolences. It wasn't exactly the same as the Marauders weren't all together, but James was still grateful for the company of Sirius and Remus.

"Three of your strongest Mate," said Sirius to the barkeep who nodded and went to prepare their drinks.

"We could definitely use it." Remus replied. James merely nodded and was about to say something when all of a sudden the fireplace flared to life in brilliant emerald and out of it stepped a lithe form in muggle clothing. Sirius whistled appreciatively and James grinned as the girl started to walk to the bar and stopped, the grin fading away so fast it might as well have been imaginary. The beautiful dark red hair was unmistakable. It was a hue that haunted him still.

Beside him, Sirius and Remus stared in shock. "Evans?" James said in what he thought was a fairly quiet voice. He hadn't reckoned for the powerful acoustic known as the silence that a dramatic entrance provided. The lithe form whirled to face him, and he was lost.

"Evans?"

Lily froze. She knew that voice. Had dreaded hearing it again. Especially in the wake of her mission. She whirled around and faced a pair of familiar hazel eyes.

"Potter?" She whispered. The Universe must be conspiring against her. She had wanted to just drink away James Potter like he was nothing. Kind of hard to do when he was sitting right there. What the hell was he doing in the Hogs Head anyways? And with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. She shook her head. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know what the three former Marauders were up too.

Sirius and Remus looked back and forth at the two of them and gave each other the same look they had been giving each other for the past seven years, as they watched the two interact. It was obvious that there was something between them but Lily had always refused to acknowledge _any _kind feeling she had whatsoever towards James Potter and he had told everyone he had simply given up on her. Only his closest friends knew that wasn't true.

Lily took a moment to study him. He was taller and more broad in the shoulders than he had been since she had last seen him three years ago, although his thick hair was still as messy as ever and he still wore his wire frame glasses. His hazel eyes, which used to sparkle with invincibility and arrogance, seemed softer somehow, and sad. All in all he looked as handsome as ever and guilt began to creep into her before she staunchly pushed it aside. She was a Hunter. He was her Prey. He was nothing but an arrogant rebel, trying to get any attention he could. He was helping to cause panic and that alone caused her to flush with anger. He and his friends had always thought they were better than everyone else and even though she hadn't seen them in three years the old resentment came back strong as ever. She hated him. And she would use that to her advantage. But what he said next shocked her.

"Would you like to sit with us?"

_I would rather sit with the Giant Squid_, was the first thought that came to mind but something stopped her. Maybe it was the sadness she had seen in his eyes. Maybe it was the gentleness with which he had asked. Maybe it was the slightly hopeful look in the three Marauder's eyes, though why Sirius and Remus should look that way she had no idea. She nodded mutely and sat down.

"Well Evans, never thought I would see you in a place like this," said Sirius with a roguish smile, although Lily could tell it was a little forced.

"Black you seem to think that alcohol is exclusive only to you and your friends." She retorted.

Despite the tragic news they had received that day the three of them couldn't help but laugh at Lily's comment. Even Lily cracked a smile, though it was a poor shadow of her beaming grin of their Hogwarts days.

James could barely keep from staring at her as the four of them began to catch up on what the others had been doing. She was still beautiful, although the angular planes to her face made her look much more severe than the Lily he remembered. Somehow it looked more elegant and faery like. Her beautiful hair was shorter than it's waste length from Hogwarts which he wasn't sure he liked, but it was still thick and wavy. Her eyes were large and long lashed, the irises still the cover of emeralds, but they had changed somehow. They now seemed harder and colder, and he found that he didn't like that at all. He had thought about those eyes all through school and still thought about them, and he missed the old warmth to them. He wondered what had happened to make that brilliant warmth turn cold. He thought about pretty and vivacious Dorcas Meadowes and shuddered slightly. He knew and understood the kind of pain that could take a person's vitality away slowly but surely. What had she been doing in the past three years?

In the middle of laughing at one of Sirius's jokes (James thought wryly that Sirius was the only one who could dredge up any kind of humor no matter what) she caught his gaze. His breath caught. There were so many emotions in her eyes. Annoyance, coolness, guilt, and something else he couldn't quite name. But guilt? What could Lily Evans possibly have to feel guilty about?

**TBC:**

**Thank you to all my reviewers! Both new and old! I appreciate it. I will have personal responses next time and the chapters will get slightly longer. I just really write until it feels right to end a chapter at a certain place. I never know what that's gonna be! LOL Anyways I hope you all liked this one.**


	4. A Pretty Boy With Sad Hazel Eyes

**Bounty**

**Chapter Four: A Pretty Boy With Sad Hazel Eyes**

**"When you come home at night your face is never quite like I remember it."**

**---Harper Pitt**

**Hello everyone! I present to you Chapter Four of Bounty! I know I haven't been updating as frequently as I should..things have been a little on the hectic side for me with auditions and such. But I hope you enjoy none the less and Im going to start putting more stuff up! **

**Thanks for all your continued support! **

**--Desiree (Romula)**

She should just arrest them. All three of them. She was certain the Ministry had it wrong. James Potter should not be her only target. If he was involved, it was almost positive that the other Marauders were as well. She was convinced they had a hive mind and couldn't think on their own. What was she doing sitting with them and talking and laughing as if she actually liked them? She despised them!

"Lily?" James's quiet use of her given name pushed her over the edge. "Don't call me that!" She snapped. Sirius and Remus instantly were silent and sent sympathetic glances towards James which only irked her further. "I'm Evans to you. All of you. And you are Potter to me. Just Potter. And Black. And Lupin. None of this Lily and James and Sirius and Remus shit." She finally registered the identical looks of shock on the three men's faces. She wanted to roll her eyes. _Great_ she thought _can't even have different expressions from one another. Gits..._

So much for her drink. She stood up and without so much as a look at the three men she walked out of the Hogshead.

She hadn't gone three steps out the door before she heard him calling her. She rolled her eyes. Couldn't he just leave her alone? She was supposed to arrest him and he was trying to make conversation. Cursing the Minister and herself she continued walking without acknowledging him.

"Evans!"

_Keep walking._ She thought and forced her already brisk pace up a notch.

"Evans!" She was about to break into a run but he grabbed her arm before she could even begin. She checked her impulse to hit him. Quidditch reflexes. Even with her new training, she still had no hope of really out running him. He was nearly as fast off the broom as he was on it. Steeling herself, she turned to face him and nearly gasped at the torrent of emotions in the hazel eyes. Chief among them was anger and more than a little hurt.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded. She lifted her chin defiantly. As if she had to explain herself to Potter of all people.

"Potter let go of me right now."

"No. Not until you tell me what the hell crawled up your ass. We were all having a nice time and then you fly off the handle for no reason and start spouting all this school days animosity. Aren't you a little old for that?"

If there was ever a time she wanted to punch him, now suited the impulse perfectly. She had balled up her hand without realizing it and had even started to raise it slightly when she made the mistake of looking into his eyes. There it was again. That sadness she had glimpsed earlier, now at the fore front, overwhelming the other emotions that she had seen just a few moments ago. It tugged at a long forgotten part of her heart and she lowered her hand let it hang limply at her side. She turned her face from his. "Look Potter—"

"James." He snapped. "My name is James. And yours is Lily."

She felt her temper rising and checked it. "Look…James, " the name sounded foreign on her tongue, " I just need to go home. Rough week. Sorry I—" Sorry for what? Sorry she had put three arrogant upstarts in their place? They hadn't changed at all, change wasn't possible for people like them. She opened her mouth to tell him so but what came out surprised her.

"I'm sorry." She jerked her arm free of his grip and began to walk away as fast as she could without ruining her dignity by running. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

**TBC…Sorry folks I know these chapters are really really short but I don't know fully where the story is going so I am just going with the flow. Also I have been really busy with auditions and hopefully soon to be rehearsals. Also I am trying to get a lot written on my other stories before school starts. Thank you all for being so supportive of this story! I really feel like its starting to take shape! Thanks again and much love!**


	5. Bait

Bounty

Chapter Five: Bait

"Clouds I can handle. But I can't fight an eclipse."

----Jacob Black (Twilight)

The Minister slammed his fist down on the desk making it, and Lily, jump. She quickly composed herself before he noticed.

"You mean to tell me Potter was less than a foot away from you and you did nothing?"

"I told you Minister, he was not alone."

"Yes, yes...he had Black and Lupin with him. Obviously the three of them together is too much for you."

Her eyes narrowed into emerald daggers. "You stress secrecy with me and all the others. Or has that changed? Would you now like me to say hello and casually mention I'm a Hunter set to bring them in? If you recall I had no idea they would be at the Hogshead. They are supposed to be in hiding along with Dumbledore and the like. I couldn't very well arrest Ja--Potter," she cursed inwardly at the slip up and tried to ignore the way the Minister's eyes narrowed shrewedly, "with a pub full of witnesses while he was flanked by two of the best wizards since Dumbledore went to Hogwarts."

"That's enough!" snapped the Minister. "You forget yourself Evans. You may be the best we have but that can easily be rectified." The threat was clear and a small tremor of fear came over her.

Keeping her face composed she said: "I was not trying to overstep my bounds Minister. However, you don't know Potter like I do. He, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew were the best of our class at Hogwarts. And not to mention staunchly loyal to Dumbledore." She mentally blanched over that last part: she herself had been just as loyal to Dumbledore as Potter and the rest of them. She just now knew better where as Potter....

_James_

Her mind corrected her.

_Potter._ She thought, angrily asserting the sir name in place of the given one. She would not allow herself to become familiar with him, even in her thoughts. He was faceless as far as she was concerned. Just another paycheck, like all the others.

The Minister sat back and gazed thoughtfully at her. "You're right." he said smoothly. She looked at him, surprise registering in the cool green of her eyes. He continued: "I _don't_ know Potter like you do. If I recall you were both Gryffindors?"

She nodded mutely.

"Along with Black, Lupin and Pettigrew?"

She nodded again, not sure where he was going.

"Well then, perhaps a change of tactics is in order."

"I beg your pardon Minister?"

"Lily, have you ever heard of the Order of the Phoenix?" he asked suddenly.

She snorted derisively to hide her shock. "Is the Ministry of Magic into believing _rumors_ now?"

He shook his head sadly. "Oh Lily, still so naive after all this time as a Hunter." She froze.

"It's not a rumor?" she whispered.

"No. It's not a rumor. The only thing the Ministry needs is proof, which sadly, hasn't been forthcoming."

_I can't imagine why, _she thought wrly.

The Minister leaned forward, catching her gaze and refusing to let it go. The scrutiny was beginning to unnerve her.

"You were a Gryffindor. He was a Gryffindor. Black was a Gryffindor. Lupin, Pettigrew, even Dumbledore was a Gryffindor. It's amazing how big a role old House loyalties still play, no matter how many years it's been since one graduated from Hogwarts. What House we end up in shapes our very lives. "

"Obviously Dumbledore is spearheading this little rebellion. Which of course means Potter and the like are in on it. And since you know Potter _so_ much better than the rest of us, I personally am instructing you to find where he and his followers are meeting Dumbledore. Afterall, why have just Potter when we can finally put an end to the Order and have peace once more?"

Lily had to force herself to breathe. Spy? On James? On Sirius? On Remus? On _Dumbledore?_ This went way beyond her job description. All her old doubts about what she was doing threatened to overwhelm her and she held herself together by the strength of her will alone. Sure she didn't like Ja--_Potter damnit! _And she sure as hell didn't like his croanies, and maybe they needed to be in Azkaban to be taught a lesson but spying? She took a deep breath and said:

"Spying is not part of my job."

He scowled at her. "The duties of your job are whatever I tell you. And I am telling you we need to put an end to the disruption the Order of the Phoenix is causing. Dark wizards...how ridiculous. The Ministry would have immediately caught such a threat and would have desposed of it immediately. They are causing undo panic, these rebels who think they are better than the rest of us. We will employ whatever strategy is necessary to ensure peace once more."

"I won't do it." she said firmly.

"Then I suppose you are interested in having your permanent address read Azkaban Prison?"

She gasped, stunned. "You can't!"

He nodded and smiled ruefully, causing fear to raise goosebumps on her arms. She would rather die than go to Azkaban.

"But why?" she whispered, hating how pathetic her voice sounded.

"Simple," he shrugged, "for treason. These are uncertain times Lily, we have to think about the entire wizarding world. The Order poses a threat to that. If you won't do your job I can only assume you have switched your loyalties and well...we can't have that can we?"

"Why me? I'm not the only Hunter."

"No, you aren't. But you are the one who can get the trust. You are the only one who can get the information on the Order. Like I said, old House loyalties."

The Minister rose, signaling the meeting was at an end.

As she walked out the door, she tried to keep the vomit from rising before she had a chance to get to a toilet.

******

So.....what do all of you think? Let me know! I know its been awhile since Ive worked on this. I hope you like!

Rom....


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